gemma ward was an unholy beauty hurricane from the aughties. i think she was an amazing model, which sounds dumb, but some models are actually awesome at their jobs. like karlie kloss who is a human chameleon. but i think one thing to remember when you look at gemma that for the “height” of her modeling career, she wasn’t even 18. i think she was 16 when she was on the cover of US vogue. and it’s crazy and unrealistic to ask anyone who isn’t a teenager to try and look like they have a teenage body in clothing. it’s part of fucked up size psychology and body terrorism. it’s fucked up to ask gemma ward to look like a teenager in clothing because she’s not one anymore. a few years ago when she went to college i remember seeing a bunch of nasty shit pop up about how she had gotten “fat”. i’m sorry but everyone’s bodies change as they get older, even models. you can’t use how you looked at 15 as a benchmark on how you should look at 22 or 32 or 42. people need to get with the idea that bodies are ever evolving, ESPECIALLY women’s bodies. it’s not like you hit puberty and get the body you’re going to have for the rest of your life. you’re not a robot. it’s not reality, it’s fake magazine shit and it’s why vogue needs to stand by their promise not to use under age models (which they’re totally not standing by, BTW).
Gemma Ward in ‘Flash Dance’
Photographer: Nick Knight
Dress: Stella McCartney F/W 2004/05
Vogue UK September 2004
